Samsung i8510 Repair Lies!!

Shorrtybearr

Hi all,

Have had a problem with Samsung lately, never really had any issues with them before but this has just p****d me right off!

I recently bought a new phone, the Samsung i8510, i payed 350 for it (yes i know its alot but i saved for it ) anyway 2 months in i was very happy with it until the paint started chipping, i could deal with that even though it wasnt very nice. A week or so later dust appeared underneath the screen which again was annoying esp for a phone that cost so much but still, i could live with it.
A couple days later how ever the phone battery died, so i plugged in the charger and nothing happend unless i jiggled it a bit which would have it charge for a few seconds and stop, i was slightly confused. I phoned up my cousin who had the same phone and he said the same thing happend to him. The problem is with the charging port (mini-usb). We charged the battery on a mates phone and it charged! threw it in my phone and hey presto it worked!

Anyway i sent it off to get repaired and i got it back in the post yesterday untouched and not repaired. I looked in the bag and found a letter stating that it had water contamination!!
This phone has never been in or near the water! it hasnt seen/heard or dreamt about water. Its ridiculous, how can the charging port be damaged by water but the rest of the phone be perfectly ok? i dont understand how a big company can do this.

It would cost between £10-15 to fix yet they want me to buy a new one :mad:
I rang them yesterday only to be on hold then be told i was next in line with 3 minutes to wait, i hear two clicks (sounded like someone hung up) and im now next in line with 5 minutes to wait....eventually i got told to go online by a automated message!

Where do i go from here? I'd repair it myself but i dnt think i've been treated fair from samsung, should i go back and query it with the supplier? (play.com)

Thanks for reading guys

Take care,

SB

elljay20

doesn't have to have been near water, steam, rain, condensation, changes it teperature etc.

If you are capable enough to change the charging port then at least you'll have a working phone! You could try taking it to an independant repair centre for a second opinion. If its liquid contamination on the port it should show some corosion. Are any of the stickers on the battery or phone red?

Shorrtybearr

I cant check the phone for the contamination without voiding the warranty so i just have to take their word for it.
I dont understand how a £350 phone could become contaminated through everyday use, its not like im on the phone in the sauna and its never ever been submerged in water in any way shape or form thats why im so !!!!ed off, how can this phone at that price in 2009 fail so badly?

"IF" it has been contaminated then its solely a design fault and i should not be held accountable for that.

OneADay

Shorrtybearr wrote: »

I cant check the phone for the contamination without voiding the warranty so i just have to take their word for it.
I dont understand how a £350 phone could become contaminated through everyday use, its not like im on the phone in the sauna and its never ever been submerged in water in any way shape or form thats why im so !!!!ed off, how can this phone at that price in 2009 fail so badly?

"IF" it has been contaminated then its solely a design fault and i should not be held accountable for that.

You can check it without voiding warranty - the stickers on the battery is one clue and there is usually another sticker below the battery (on the phone itself) which tells you if its been water damaged or not. The colour of the stickers turns purple I think it has water damage - otherwise it should be white.

Silk

Shorrtybearr wrote: »

I cant check the phone for the contamination without voiding the warranty so i just have to take their word for it.

Hi Shorty,
I think the fact that water damage has been detected automaticaly voids the warranty

Shorrtybearr

Just checked both stickers, one on the battery and the other on the underside a metal plate in the phone (required me to dismantle the phone)
Both stickers have purple X's on them, so i assume this indicates water contamination. What i dont understand is how on earth it has happened! Its never been near water, im a careful person so i'd know if it had any incidents.

What kind of phone in this day and age gets water damage from everyday activities? How can they have this sticker system if it unfairly indicates positve?

I know personally that the phone hasnt been near water but i dont think there is anything i can do about it. They have their "proof".

Now i need to decide if i should repair it myself or send it to a repair centre.

F12Y

Shorrtybearr wrote: »

Just checked both stickers, one on the battery and the other on the underside a metal plate in the phone (required me to dismantle the phone)
Both stickers have purple X's on them, so i assume this indicates water contamination. What i dont understand is how on earth it has happened! Its never been near water, im a careful person so i'd know if it had any incidents.

What kind of phone in this day and age gets water damage from everyday activities? How can they have this sticker system if it unfairly indicates positve?

I know personally that the phone hasnt been near water but i dont think there is anything i can do about it. They have their "proof".

Now i need to decide if i should repair it myself or send it to a repair centre.

U kno what ive had Exactly the SAME Problem!....I think there should be some action we should be able to take.......It must be a design fault....alot of people have had the same problem!....stupid samsung!

justpaper

on reading this,. and other sites, seems like a very common fault,

dont know if samsung have admitted the issue,

the lame water damage excuse is running low,..

( yes i bump posts

4743hudsonj

In light of this, i would write a letter to the retailer stating the sale of goods act 1979 stating the goods are not of satisfactory quality and as the contract is younger then 6 months, the onus is on them to prove that these faults are NOT inherent. Note they need proof, i doubt stickers will be enough if you can gather some evidence (intenet etc) that this is a common problem. IF the dont back down, id take it to small claims (make sure you mention this as your intent if they dont resolve the issue). give them 14 days to resolve it all before but if not file your claim at money claim online. You risk losing the £30 claim fee if you lose but i would risk it as i would be quietly confident in winning.

Consumer direct can give more info.

Littlemiss27

Shorrtybearr wrote: »

Both stickers have purple X's on them, so i assume this indicates water contamination.

If the water indicators are solid white with purple x's on them, then they have not been activated. When the water indicators are triggered the purple x's merge into the white turning the sticker a lilac colour.